IN THE END
by randomle26
Summary: [BASED OF YJ FINALE; NIGHTWING/RAVEN ROMANCE] When the end of the world comes, some would rather go out and fight until their dying breath. But others will go back and cherish the loved ones they're not ready to let go.


**AN: Here's another TT/YJ crossover one shot addressing the events in **_**Summit**_** and **_**Endgame**_**. It was originally going to be a two-shot but my idea couldn't be expanded that far… so it's just a really long one shot.**

**I hope any errors you see won't ruin the fun of reading! **

**Song that Inspired: ****IN THE END**** by the Black Veil Brides**

* * *

_**Part 1: Summit**_

* * *

_In the end__  
__As my soul's laid to rest__  
__What is left of my body__  
__Or am I just a shell?__  
__And I have fought__  
__And with flesh and blood I commanded an army__  
__Through it all I have given my home for a moment of glory_

* * *

Dick pressed the buttons of his cell phone- typing in, hesitantly for an odd reason, the number he already knew by heart. He pressed the piece of technology to his ear and waited patiently for the dial tone.

"Dick, you better be ready to revisit hell! Do you have any idea what the fucking time is?!" screeched the familiar voice, causing Dick to cringe at the harshness of the tone. But he composed himself and responded, "Raven…"

"I'm glad that you know my name," Raven responded sarcastically, "Now what do you want?" He said with a sigh, "I want to talk to you."

He could hear a sarcastic response bubbling at the surface of her cranium, but he knew that she was probably tired and desperate for the phone call to end. .That's why he couldn't help but feel slightly smug- for knowing her so well- when she answered, "Where would you like to talk, your highness?"

He glanced around his surroundings, "Um…can we meet at your apartment?" Raven let out a huff and said, "Meet me on the roof, bird brain."

* * *

Raven waited impatiently, tapping her foot against the concrete surface of her Jump City apartment. She pulled the coat closer to her body, somewhat chilled by the passing breeze. It didn't make sense to her why she was cold…she was up here more then enough times to be used to the weather (then again, those were early mornings).

The empath didn't even have to turn around to know that her former leader was behind her. She faced him and hissed, "What the hell did you wake me up for?" She then began going on a long rant about how important sleep was.

As she was lecturing, Dick couldn't help but let his eyes scan her petite body. She was wearing a navy blue camisole and black shorts that only met her thighs half-way. God damn was she beautiful.

Raven noticed that he wasn't paying attention. _Probably thinking about Barbara chasing after him_, she thought viciously She coughed and finally caught his attention. When he looked at her, she smugly pointed to her face, "Eyes up here, Boy Blunder."

Dick flashed her his famous crooked smirk, "Sorry. Haven't seen you in a while…you look good." Raven sighed, "If you came here just to give me compliments, that's really stupid. Stuff like that can be sent through email."

He chuckled at her, "I wanted to tell you something." Raven teased, "Are you gay?" He raised an eyebrow, "What?" She shrugged casually, "Vic and I made a bet a couple years ago…if you are then I won." Dick rolled his eyes, "No, I'm not coming out." She pursed her lips, "Are you sure? I mean you had on those pixie boots and-"

"Rae my news is really important," Dick interrupted. Raven cocked her head to the side, "Well homosexuality is important. Equal rights and all that shit." He chuckled- in her own way, Raven could be a real hippie.

Getting serious, she calmly said, "What's your big news?" He took a step closer- pleased that she didn't take one back- and announced, "I'm not leading anymore." She raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?" He shrugged, "I gave the position back to Aqualad. I thought you'd like to know."

"And you're okay with not leading?" Raven asked. He scrunched his nose at her, "Rae, just because I was a possessive leader in my Titan years doesn't mean I always have to be leader. I took some time off when the Team was built." She put her hands out defensively, "I'm just making sure."

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her small waist, "Well thank you for caring so much about me." She bit her lower lip and Dick had to fight the temptation to bite it for her. She stated, "I don't get why you felt the need to tell me."

"Maybe I wanted to visit my little Raven," he suggested, "Maybe tell her the news in hope for celebratory sex." Raven chuckled, "Aren't we optimistic." He kissed her forehead, "Just _hoping_."

She lightly pushed at his chest, "As much as I would love to be involved in your mini celebration, I can't." He pouted, "I haven't seen you in forever Rae-Rae. And I haven't touched you in…like 20 days." She raised an eyebrow, "Oh my god, it's like you're dehydrated or something."

"Seriously, Rae, why not?" pleaded Dick. She sighed and kissed his jaw lightly, "You shouldn't be focused on me. From what you told me, your 'let's-make-Kaldur-a-traitor' plan is done with, but the Reach is still here. You should be focusing on that."

"But I don't want to!" he whined, "I wanna spend time with my girlfriend." She gritted her teeth and whispered, "Secret girlfriend, last time I checked." He shrugged, "But just as loved."

As Dick continued to kiss her neck- distracting her easily- Raven asked, "When are you planning to tell Wally- or anybody- about us?" He shrugged, "I told Tim." She rolled her eyes, "No you didn't, dillhole. He happened to hack into your email and saw everything you sent me. Which, by the way, you could be a _very_ racy writer if you wanted to be."

Dick lightly blushed at the memory of him going into Tim's room, and seeing the current Boy Wonder clutching his chair as he read how Dick wanted to ravish the she-devil. It was more awkward for Dick because Tim had been reading the stuff out loud and calling out for Cassie.

"Why do we have to tell anybody?" asked Dick, bring his head up so his mask met Raven's amethyst eyes. She sighed, "Because I would assume that you're tired of lying to Wally or Bruce or Barbara. Wally's still under the impression that his best friend is some untamed man-whore."

"I believe the word he used was 'dog'," defended a slightly insulted Dick, "And why do I have to tell Barbara." She rolled her eyes, "Because all I hear from Karen is about how awestruck Batgirl is with you. It's a fucking migraine."

Dick smothered her neck again and murmured, "Are you jealous, baby?" Raven sighed, "Only a little. And for someone who's been keeping her emotions on the backburner for so long, you know that's a big deal."

"You know that I only love you, Rae. I don't love Star, I don't love Zatanna, and I don't love Barbara- at least not the way I love you," he confessed. She sighed and pulled him closer in their embrace, "I'm cold."

"Not as much as you used to be," he added, "And if it really bothers you…I'll tell everyone about how in love I am with Rachel 'Raven' Roth." She smirked and kissed the corners of his lips, "Like I said, that's not your number one priority."

"You always will be, Rae," he said. She nodded, "Then make the Reach your temporarily number one." He smiled down at her and said, "And once I kick their ass?"

"Then we can have your celebratory sex," she joked. And Dick knew, Raven always kept her word when it came to him. Dick smirked, "If i'm really up for it." She smiled lightly, "I'm sure your victory will be something to celebrate."

* * *

_**Part 2: Endgame**_

* * *

_In the end__  
__As you fade into the night (oh whoa oh oh)__  
__Who will tell the story of your life (oh whoa oh oh)__  
__And who will remember your last goodbye (oh whoa oh oh)__  
__Cause it's the end and I'm not afraid__  
__I'm not afraid to die_

* * *

He was gone…Wally was gone…

It's not right. It wasn't fair. Not to Wally. Not to Artemis. Not even to himself.

How was Wally- the one who didn't even want to be involved in the first place- the one that had to sacrifice himself?

It wasn't fair.

Dick growled and kicked his motorcycle angrily. It made no sense to him: why was Wally the one that lost everything?

He was planning to visit Artemis, comfort his second best friend. But she probably hated him, and he didn't blame her. Dick was the one that roped them back in, asking for their help. And Wally was the one who protested against it. For once, the speedster had a brilliant idea and Dick didn't listen. If this was some cruel punishment…he deserved it, but Wally didn't.

Dick unlocked the door to his apartment in Blüdhaven and stepped in slowly. He felt dead, to be honest. He felt hollow and didn't know why he was moving at all.

When he told Kaldur that he needed break from the team, even he was unsure. Did that mean he was going to give up hero life? Did it mean he was going solo? His mind was so clouded in sorrow that he didn't have the answer.

"You look like shit," said a monotone voice that Dick knew too well.

Dick brought his head up, "Raven…I…"

Raven stood calmly on his balcony…in her old uniform. The black leotard looked snug against her form. The belt wasn't as loose against her hips. And the cloak still swayed with the wind, like always.

The empath glided forward, stopping a few feet in front of Dick. She opened her arms, welcoming an embrace. Which Dick gave into without hesitation.

Dick buried his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling the familiar scent through his nostrils. Raven smoothed his hair and rubbed his back as she heard his silent sobs- because she was the only one who could even hear the sounds of despair in his cries.

She placed a kiss on the top of his head, "I'm so sorry Dick." He pushed his nose closer, "First Jason…now Wally…what's next? You?"

She grimaced and buried her face in his ebony hair, "Don't do that to yourself. You know I wouldn't ever leave you." He groaned, "I thought the same way about Wally. I was so wrong."

"I wish I could say I understand, or tell you that everything was going to be okay…but I can't lie to you," Raven said. He sighed, "I like that you're honest…but…"

"Just talk to me, Dick. Tell me what's wrong."

"It's my fault!" Dick said. Raven brought his head up and tore his mask off, Dick not caring. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Dick shook his head, "He didn't want to be involved. He didn't want anything to do this. I roped him back in. I lead him to it. He and Artemis….they were happy and I ruined that because I was weak."

Raven held Dick's head in her hands, "It's not your fault. You didn't know what was going to happen. And they knew the risks of getting involved again. It's no one's fault, Dick."

He shook his head, "It shouldn't have been him." She kissed his nose, "And I bet you felt the same way about Jason."

"Dick, death is a natural part of life," she said, "I know it hurts now but-"

"Stop Raven," Dick commanded, "Please just stop…and just hold me. I know that you're trying to help with words…but stop. Please just….hold me in your arms and remind me that…I haven't lost everything. Let me cry in your arms, please!"

Raven knew for a fact that no matter what, Dick was always going to feel like it was his fault- he was stubborn and nothing she said would change his mind. So she did as she was told. She embraced him and let her cry on her leotard.

"Don't ever leave. Please don't let me go, ever," he said. And she never did.

* * *

**How was it?**

**It wasn't that long but I was trying to squeeze everything in.**

**I know that YJ ended- I was hesitant to watch the ending actually- but I won't stop doing my crossovers. The spirit will live on!**

**Please Read and Review!**


End file.
